Stahl Hennigsdorf Rugby
Encyclopedia
The Stahl Hennigsdorf Rugby is a German
rugby union
club from Hennigsdorf
, currently playing in the tier-four Regionalliga East B. The team is part of a larger club, the Stahl Hennigsdorf, which also offers other sports like volleyball
, table tennis
and boxing
.
The club, located in former East Germany, was the most successful rugby team in the country, having won 27 national championships
from 1952 to 1990, when the last championship was held.
The term Stahl
is the German
word for steel
and refers to the club's connection to the local steelworks.
The club is located in the Oberhavel
district, north west of Berlin. The district is home to two more rugby union clubs, RU Hohen Neuendorf
and Veltener RC.
, a former German rugby international for Berliner SV
, brought the game to Hennigsdorf. He tried to find a home for the sport in the BSG Motor Hennigsdorf but found the club disinterested. He was more successful when contacting BSG Stahl Hennigsdorf and a rugby department was formed.
After originally playing sides from Berlin
, the club soon established contacts to teams in Hanover
. Erwin Thiesies, by being employed through the local steel works, became the full-time coach of Stahl and was able to travel abroad to watch games and improve his knowledge of the game.
Stahl became the first East German rugby union champion in 1952 and defended this title the following year but then had to wait a number of years for another title. In this era, the club provided the core of the East German team
, together with DHfK Leipzig and ASK Vorwärts Berlin. Stahl, until the German reunion, continued to provide the core of the national team.
Stahl's most dominating time came from 1965 to 1977, when the club won the national title in every season but one, 1972, when Stahl Leegebruch took out the championship.
In 1977, Erwin Thiesies finally retired as the clubs coach and was replaced by Wolfgang Götsch, a 20-time GDR international with 700 games for Stahl to his name. Under him, the team was rejuvenated and three runners-up finishes from 1978 to 1980 were achieved.
From 1981, Stahl returned to its old dominance, winning ten championships in a row, including the last one ever held in East Germany, in 1990. It bowed out of East German rugby history by winning the cup competition as well that year.
qualification round, where, after a weak start, it succeeded by winning its last eight games. Additionally, the clubs name was altered from BSG Stahl to SV Stahl.
It lasted for only one season at this level, being relegated to the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga
in 1992. A year later, on 18 February 1993, the clubs founding father, Erwin Thiesies, died, aged 84.
In 1998, after over 20 years as coach of Stahl, Wolfgang Götsch resigned from his position due to illness, to be replaced by his assistant Udo Schimroszik. Two years later, in 2000, the club returned to the Rugby-Bundesliga. But again the club lasts for only one season, returning to the 2nd Bundesliga in 2001.
Stahl remained in this league as a top of the table side in the coming years, despite suffering from a lack of players, especially in 2005-06. The club reached a low point after this season, for the first time in its history it was unable to field a side and did not take part in the German league system in 2006-07. The following season, it fielded a combined team, together with the reserve side of local rival RU Hohen Neuendorf
, in the lowest division, the tier-four Regionalliga East B. This partnership however lasted for only one season.
The club fielded its own, independent team in the fourth division in 2008-09 and continues to do so in 2009-10. It won the league title in 2009 and played in the Regionalliga East in autumn 2009, where it finished sixth and had to play in the B division in spring 2010.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club from Hennigsdorf
Hennigsdorf
Hennigsdorf is a town in the district of Oberhavel, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated north-west of Berlin, just across the city border, which is formed mainly by the Havel river.-History:...
, currently playing in the tier-four Regionalliga East B. The team is part of a larger club, the Stahl Hennigsdorf, which also offers other sports like volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
and boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
.
The club, located in former East Germany, was the most successful rugby team in the country, having won 27 national championships
East German rugby union championship
The East German rugby union championship was a rugby union competition in the German Democratic Republic, commonly referred to as East Germany. The competition was first held in 1952 and had its last edition in 1990, being terminated by the events of the German reunion.-Competition:The competition...
from 1952 to 1990, when the last championship was held.
The term Stahl
Stahl
Stahl is a surname, and may refer to:* Agustín Stahl Puerto Rican physician, ethnologist, and botanist* Armin Mueller-Stahl* Ben Stahl* Ben Stahl * Chick Stahl* Christian Ernst Stahl* Daniel Stahl* Floyd Stahl...
is the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
word for steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
and refers to the club's connection to the local steelworks.
The club is located in the Oberhavel
Oberhavel
Oberhavel is a Kreis in the northern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Mecklenburg-Strelitz in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the districts Uckermark, Barnim, the Bundesland Berlin, and the districts Havelland and Ostprignitz-Ruppin.-Geography:The district is located along...
district, north west of Berlin. The district is home to two more rugby union clubs, RU Hohen Neuendorf
RU Hohen Neuendorf
The RU Hohen Neuendorf is a German rugby union club from Hohen Neuendorf, currently playing in the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East.The club is located in the Oberhavel district, north west of Berlin...
and Veltener RC.
East Germany
The club was formed in 1948 when Erwin ThiesiesErwin Thiesies
Erwin Thiesies was a German international rugby union player, playing for the Berliner SV 92 Rugby and the German national rugby union team....
, a former German rugby international for Berliner SV
Berliner SV
Berliner SV 1892 is a German association football club from the district of Wilmersdorf, Berlin. BSV 1892 is one of the country's oldest clubs and was a founding member of the DFB in 1900....
, brought the game to Hennigsdorf. He tried to find a home for the sport in the BSG Motor Hennigsdorf but found the club disinterested. He was more successful when contacting BSG Stahl Hennigsdorf and a rugby department was formed.
After originally playing sides from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, the club soon established contacts to teams in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
. Erwin Thiesies, by being employed through the local steel works, became the full-time coach of Stahl and was able to travel abroad to watch games and improve his knowledge of the game.
Stahl became the first East German rugby union champion in 1952 and defended this title the following year but then had to wait a number of years for another title. In this era, the club provided the core of the East German team
German Democratic Republic national rugby union team
The German Democratic Republic national rugby union team was the representative side of the German Democratic Republic at rugby union, during that country's existence from 1949 to 1991.-GDR internationals:...
, together with DHfK Leipzig and ASK Vorwärts Berlin. Stahl, until the German reunion, continued to provide the core of the national team.
Stahl's most dominating time came from 1965 to 1977, when the club won the national title in every season but one, 1972, when Stahl Leegebruch took out the championship.
In 1977, Erwin Thiesies finally retired as the clubs coach and was replaced by Wolfgang Götsch, a 20-time GDR international with 700 games for Stahl to his name. Under him, the team was rejuvenated and three runners-up finishes from 1978 to 1980 were achieved.
From 1981, Stahl returned to its old dominance, winning ten championships in a row, including the last one ever held in East Germany, in 1990. It bowed out of East German rugby history by winning the cup competition as well that year.
Germany
With the German reunion, the changes in society and the freedom of travel, the club experienced a substantial loss of players. In 1991, the club took part in the Rugby-BundesligaRugby-Bundesliga
The Rugby-Bundesliga is the highest level of Germany's rugby union league system, organised by the German Rugby Federation.The league is predominantly amateur, with only two of the ten clubs in the league being professional outfits,the SC 1880 Frankfurt and Heidelberger RK.-History:The German rugby...
qualification round, where, after a weak start, it succeeded by winning its last eight games. Additionally, the clubs name was altered from BSG Stahl to SV Stahl.
It lasted for only one season at this level, being relegated to the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga
2nd Rugby-Bundesliga
The 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga is the second-highest level of Germany's Rugby union league system, organised by the German Rugby Federation. Its set below the Rugby-Bundesliga, the top-tier of German rugby, and above the Rugby-Regionalliga, the third tier.-History:...
in 1992. A year later, on 18 February 1993, the clubs founding father, Erwin Thiesies, died, aged 84.
In 1998, after over 20 years as coach of Stahl, Wolfgang Götsch resigned from his position due to illness, to be replaced by his assistant Udo Schimroszik. Two years later, in 2000, the club returned to the Rugby-Bundesliga. But again the club lasts for only one season, returning to the 2nd Bundesliga in 2001.
Stahl remained in this league as a top of the table side in the coming years, despite suffering from a lack of players, especially in 2005-06. The club reached a low point after this season, for the first time in its history it was unable to field a side and did not take part in the German league system in 2006-07. The following season, it fielded a combined team, together with the reserve side of local rival RU Hohen Neuendorf
RU Hohen Neuendorf
The RU Hohen Neuendorf is a German rugby union club from Hohen Neuendorf, currently playing in the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East.The club is located in the Oberhavel district, north west of Berlin...
, in the lowest division, the tier-four Regionalliga East B. This partnership however lasted for only one season.
The club fielded its own, independent team in the fourth division in 2008-09 and continues to do so in 2009-10. It won the league title in 2009 and played in the Regionalliga East in autumn 2009, where it finished sixth and had to play in the B division in spring 2010.
Club honours
- East German rugby union championshipEast German rugby union championshipThe East German rugby union championship was a rugby union competition in the German Democratic Republic, commonly referred to as East Germany. The competition was first held in 1952 and had its last edition in 1990, being terminated by the events of the German reunion.-Competition:The competition...
- Champions: (27) 1952, 1953, 1960-62, 1965-71, 1973-77, 1981-90
- Runners up: 1978-80
Recent seasons
| Year | Division | Position |
| 1998-99 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East (II) | |
| Bundesliga qualification round | 11th | |
| 1999-2000 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East | |
| Bundesliga qualification round | 8th | |
| 2000-01 | Rugby-Bundesliga North/East Rugby-Bundesliga The Rugby-Bundesliga is the highest level of Germany's rugby union league system, organised by the German Rugby Federation.The league is predominantly amateur, with only two of the ten clubs in the league being professional outfits,the SC 1880 Frankfurt and Heidelberger RK.-History:The German rugby... (I) |
5th |
| Bundesliga qualification round | 10th | |
| 2001-02 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East (II) | 3rd |
| 2002-03 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East | 4th |
| 2003-04 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East | 3rd |
| 2004-05 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East | 3rd |
| 2005-06 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East | 6th |
| 2006–07 | no team fielded | |
| 2007–08 | Regionalliga East B (IV) | 2nd |
| 2008–09 | Regionalliga East B | 1st |
| 2009–10 | Rugby-Regionalliga East (III) | 6th |
| Rugby-Regionalliga East B (IV) | 1st | |
| 2010–11 | Rugby-Regionalliga East | 6th |
- Until 2001, when the single-division Bundesliga was established, the season was divided in autumn and spring, a Vorrunde and Endrunde, whereby the top teams of the Rugby-Bundesliga would play out the championship while the bottom teams together with the autumn 2nd Bundesliga champion would play for Bundesliga qualification. The remainder of the 2nd Bundesliga teams would play a spring round to determine the relegated clubs. Where two placing's are shown, the first is autumn, the second spring.